Prime Reveals 2017 Highlights

At its new season launch today in Auckland, Prime unveiled some of its top picks for next year, including a new vehicle for Kiwi Antony Starr (above), British dramas The Halcyon, Dark Angel and The White Princess, two Louis Theroux documentaries, and David Attenborough’s Zoo Quest in Colour.

Curiously, there was no mention of Attenborough’s Planet Earth II, which suggests BBC Worldwide is still negotiating NZ rights for the series.

Here are the highlights:

THE HALCYON

Set in 1940, this eight-part period drama weaves together the stories of the occupants, staff and visitors at London’s bustling, glamorous five-star Halcyon Hotel through the prism of war and the impact it has on families, politics, relationships and work across every social strata. Revealing how war permeates everyone’s lives from the glamorous guests to its loyal, hard-working staff watched from within by visiting American journalist Joe O’Hara (Matt Ryan), at its core is the shared dark secret of owner Lady Hamilton (Olivia Williams) and hotel manager Richard Garland (Steven Macintosh). The Halcyon takes viewers to the heart of an extraordinary time in Britain’s history and reflects how people carried on with their lives with defiance in the air.

DARK ANGEL

Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) plays Britain’s first serial killer, Victorian working-class woman Mary Ann Cotton. Her murder method of choice was arsenic, readily available and easily slipped into food or tea, building up over time to give the impression the victim was dying from a ‘natural’ cause – all so she could collect their life insurance. Mary Ann’s 20-year gruesome poisoning spree came to an end in 1873 when she was convicted of the murder of her seven-year old stepson. She was suspected of poisoning 20 others during that time – including her mother, several of her children and stepchildren, three husbands, a lover and a friend.

CHICAGO JUSTICE

This spin-off from Chicago P.D. follows the State’s Attorney’s team of prosecutors and investigators in the pursuit of justice. Lead prosecutor Philip Winchester (Strike Back) heads a cast that includes Nazneen Contractor (Heroes Reborn), Carl Weathers (Rocky), Joelle Carter (Justified) and newcomer Ryan-James Hatanaka.

MACGYVER

A reimagining of the ’80s action-adventure drama, based around the life of 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, an operative of a secret US government organisation who saves the day using paperclips instead of pistols, birthday candles instead of bombs, and gum instead of guns. Lucas Till (X-Men: Apocalypse) and George Eads (CSI) star.

DOUBT

Katherine Heigl plays a successful defence lawyer at a boutique firm who becomes romantically involved with a client who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime.

BULL

Michael Weatherly stars as Dr Jason Bull in a series inspired by the early career of Dr Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time. Brilliant, brash and charming, Dr Bull is the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition and high tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses and the accused tick.

AMERICAN GOTHIC

When a prominent Boston family discovers their recently deceased patriarch is linked to a string of murders spanning decades they attempt to redefine themselves amid the mounting suspicion that one of them may have been his accomplice. As shocking secrets from the past and present are revealed, the mounting paranoia that one of them is a killer threatens to tear the family apart. Antony Starr (Banshee) and The Knick’s Juliet Rylance star.

THE WHITE PRINCESS

Adapted from Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel of the same name and part of The Cousins’ War book series, The White Princess sees England ostensibly united by the marriage of Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII, but their personal and political rift runs deep and the war that rages between them threatens to tear the kingdom apart once again. The White Princess is a tale of power, family, love, betrayal and death, which charts one of the most tumultuous times in British history uniquely from the point of view of the women waging the ongoing battle for the English throne.

LOUIS THEROUX: A DIFFERENT BRAIN

This powerful documentary follows the recovery of people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury as award-winning journalist Louis Theroux looks at the impact of this life changing condition on individuals and their families. He spends time with staff and service users at one of the UK’s largest providers of neuro-behavioural rehabilitation to try and understand how people come to terms with it, and the impact on family members loving and supporting a person who has changed so drastically.

LOUIS THEROUX: DRINKING TO OBLIVION

To find out why alcohol is the most common addiction in the UK, Theroux visits King’s College Hospital in London, where he immerses himself in the lives of patients in the grips of alcohol addiction and the medical staff trying to help them. He explores the effects drinking is having on the patients’ lives, the consequences for their loved ones and looks for answers as to why some people become addicted to alcohol and find it impossible to stop even when they know it is killing them.

RICK STEIN’S LONG WEEKENDS

Rick Stein celebrates his ten favourite European destinations for a culinary long weekend jaunt. From fabulous local markets and great restaurants, Rick shares his tips and suggestions on the best foodie destinations, wineries, cafes and bars, avoiding the usual tourist traps. His travels take him from Bordeaux to Berlin, Reykjavik to Bologna, Vienna and beyond, as he hunts out delicious recipes, before choosing three classic dishes from each location to recreate at home in his Padstow kitchen.

WHY ARE WE FAT?

Overweight and diabetic chef Simon Gault becomes a human guinea-pig in an attempt to improve his own health in this NZ On Air Platinum Fund documentary series about the science behind obesity and the looming health crisis. A staggering 64% of New Zealanders are now either obese or overweight. In the developed world, only Americans are fatter. So how did this happen? How did we go from obesity rates of 9% to 30% in less than a generation?

PRIME ROCKS

Watch for new takes on The Beach Boys, UB40, 10CC and Carole King as well as Ron Howards’ The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – the Touring Years.

PRIME PLANET

Highlights include Ireland with Simon Reeve, Joanna Lumley’s Japan and Attenborough’s Zoo Quest in Colour.

DECADES IN COLOUR S2

FORENSICS NZ S2

DOCTOR WHO S10

DEATH IN PARADISE S6

SCORPION S3

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS S3

ELEMENTARY S5

MADAM SECRETARY S3

BONES S12

MODERN FAMILY S8

QI

PRIME FLICKS

Highlights include Goodfellas, the ’80s Batman franchise, Hulk, The Mummy, RocknRolla and Pitch Black.

THE CROWD GOES WILD 

RUGBY: INTERNATIONALS, SUPER RUGBY, MITRE 10 CUP

CRICKET

SOCCER: EPL 

NETBALL: SILVER FERNS

HORSE RACING

TENNIS